The Death of Mrs Westaway

A modern-day murder mystery from The Sunday Times Bestseller

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The Death of Mrs Westaway

By: Ruth Ware

Narrated by: Imogen Church

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About this listen

Random House presents the audiobook edition of The Death of Mrs Westaway by Ruth Ware, read by Imogen Church.

When Harriet Westaway receives an unexpected letter telling her she’s inherited a substantial bequest from her Cornish grandmother, it seems like the answer to her prayers. She owes money to a loan shark and the threats are getting increasingly aggressive: she needs to get her hands on some cash fast.

There's just one problem - Hal's real grandparents died more than twenty years ago. The letter has been sent to the wrong person. But Hal knows that the cold-reading techniques she’s honed as a seaside fortune teller could help her con her way to getting the money. If anyone has the skills to turn up at a stranger's funeral and claim a bequest they’re not entitled to, it’s her.

Hal makes a choice that will change her life for ever. But once she embarks on her deception, there is no going back. She must keep going or risk losing everything, even her life…

The brand new psychological thriller from the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in Cabin 10.

'The Death of Mrs Westaway is Ruth Ware's best: a dark and dramatic thriller, part murder mystery, part family drama, altogether riveting' AJ FINN, bestselling author of THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW

Ruth WareImogen ChurchPenguin Audio

Crime Thrillers

Psychological

Suspense

Thriller & Suspense

Thriller

Money

Crime

Fiction

Exciting

Scary

Crime Thrillers Psychological Suspense Thriller & Suspense Thriller Money Crime Fiction Exciting Scary

Critic reviews

‘Powerfully atmospheric, unguessably twisty…I devoured it’ -

'I read this in two lightning quick sittings, Hal is the most enthralling anti-heroine and the gothic Cornish setting was riveting. But mainly this was just an incredible story, filled with utterly believable characters and brilliantly told. I absolutely adored it' -

The Death of Mrs Westaway is Ruth Ware's best: a dark and dramatic thriller, part murder mystery, part family drama, altogether riveting.

If you’re an Agatha Christie fan then you’ll love this eerie new offering from mega-author Ruth Ware… Dark, unsettling and brilliant.

A dark tale by one of the best thriller writers around.

Few contemporary novelists understand the power of an isolated landscape better than Ruth Ware… her best yet!

Ruth Ware does that amazing thing of creating a compellingly gripping premise for a book.

Ware’s fourth novel reaffirms her position as one of the best thriller writers around today… This cleverly plotted murder mystery-meets-psychological family drama is dark enough to send a shiver down one’s spine even on the hottest summer’s day.

Deliciously dark and spooky mystery.

Full of eerie atmosphere and intrigue… the story is deftly told and compelling

Most relevant

By far my favourite Ruth Ware book by far - which is saying something as adored the others too especially Cabin 10 and Dark Wood - I so looked forward to the release of this book but was initially disappointed and put it aside as could not get into it at first - but so glad I went back to it as after that it was a real roller coaster and so very atmospheric.
I savoured this book as I was enjoying it so much and though I did guess some of it three quarters way along, I did not get it all until the final clues were revealed so that was wonderful. I saw this in my mind almost as a black and white classic, with Gothic touches like the original film version of Rebecca also with shades of an Agatha Christie mystery - not through pastiche but through well thought out plot, thrills and spills and slow burn menace which is seldom seen these days and took its time to create style, substance and suspense without any cheap tricks, cop outs or cliches.
So well written it built excitement, intrigue, dread and suspense the old fashioned and clever way, through excellent story and a telling without the need for shock fest gore, gratuitous dead,tortured animals or crossing the line into overly dark, depressing and upsetting themes. I also loved the interesting setting, unusual characters and Tarot theme - what treat after the tedium of so dreary kitchen sink dramas where the plots force you to also dredge though a mountain of washing up, school runs, ironing and even stirring saucepans of beans to get to the thriller inside.
I loved the way the plot did not lose tempo or impetus throughout the book and the ending - A huge bonus as so many thrillers intrigue and mystify only to fizzle out in anticlimax, making the whole book a bit of a let down and leaving a bad taste as a "Ah .... so that is what all the fuss was about" damp squib.
Not so with The Death of Mrs Westaway as the plot and the ending are seamless and flow together for a very satisfying end. Another difference between this book and so many thrillers is that it is told in linear fashion. not cutting forward and back in time, not being told one chapter by each character and I am guessing the reason for this is that this is a very solid, well crafted piece or writing which simply flowed well and had an excellent plot and did not need any extra help keeping the reader interested and engaged by using dramatic devices or chop and change chapter structure.
I did think that the narrator was guilty of overcooking her performance from time to time and for perfection I would have asked her to pull back a little and let this intriguing, twisting, turning mystery unfold and tell its own story though the gripping writing without so much intrusion and milking of already suspenseful events. Sad that some of the subtlety and nuance was lost through this persistent overperformance so over the top at times some of the male voices sounded like comedy characters wheeled out to do a turn.
However I still rated it at 5 stars as - though a forced and overly dramatic performance which would have made even a telephone directory sound like a ripping yarn - Imogen Church is a talented actress and head and shoulders above the average narrator but I would have like to hear it read with a lot more subtlety by someone softer spoken who lets the story tell itself with a gentler more enigmatic narration to let the whole thing breath and allow the brooding atmosphere to shimmer and float rather than be pumped out like Hammer House of Horror dry ice special effects.
Thank you so much Ruth Ware for this gem and please give us another one very soon;
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 5 STARS ... JUST GIVE IT SOME TIME TO ESTABLISH AND THEN GET READY FOR A RARE TREAT!